Confessions of a Writer -- A Game of Tag!

 I’ve been tagged by the famously talented J.L. Gribble to participate in the “Confessions of a Writer” game of tag. J.L. Gribble is a fellow graduate of Seton HillUniversity’s Writing Popular Fiction MFA program and a great speculative fiction writer. Her debut novel, Steel Victory was released earlier this year by Dog Star Books.

The “Confessions of a Writer” tag is a game of great fun! Especially if you want to know a little bit more about your favorite authors.

To read the original rules of the Tag, go here.

Here are my answers to the questions:

The Questions:

1. When did you first start writing? Was being a writer something you always aspired to be?Nope! I wanted to be a scientist. I have always loved animals and the outdoors. I got my B.S. in Geology and Environmental Science at UMass Lowell. I had never written a thing until my senior year in college, and then I discovered that I had a fantasy novel that I HAD to write. When I was looking at grad schools for Geology, I realized that my “true path” (if you will) was writing genre fiction (I have always been an avid reader) and I got my M.A. and Writing and I haven’t looked back since.

Although, I still love rocks and mineralogy. Igneous petrology will always have a place in my heart. J

2. What genre do you write?

I write speculative fiction (SF), meaning I write across the entire science fiction-fantasy genre. (I am afraid of the dark, so I tend not to write horror, which is part of SF) J I am currently writing Space Opera, but my first love (and next planned series) is High Fantasy.

3. Can you tell us a little about your current work in progress? When did you start working on this project?

I am writing the second book in TheEmpress Game trilogy, published by TitanBooks. It is tentatively titled Cloak of War, but don’t quote me on that. It’s Space Opera in the vein of Star Wars and Guardians of the Galaxy, with a kick-ass female protagonist and an empire on the line.

4. What was your first piece that you can remember writing? What was it about?

An easy one for me, because it wasn’t until my senior year of college. I had zero training in writing. I had always believed English to be my worst subject, b/c I received C’s in middle school, so I never took AP courses or Honors courses in English in high school, only the sciences, and avoided it in college.

Once I realized that after a lifetime of reading fantasy novels, I wanted to write one, I had to train myself to be a writer, but there is a TON to know about craft. An amazing amount. I had the fantasy story that I wanted to write in my head, but I didn’t want to “waste” the “Book of My Heart” on the process of learning how to write, so the first thing I wrote was actually a Historical Romance. (Regency, if you know the genre)

I enjoy reading them for their clever dialogue and they have a predictable structure, so I was able to focus on the craft of writing while working within a set structure/plot. That way I didn’t have to learn everything at once. Once I learned a lot about the craft of writing (and had been critiqued) and finished that novel, I applied for the SHU Masters program and wrote the Book of My Heart, an unpublished High Fantasy novel titled Sworn Sword.

Side note: The historical romance did get published with a small press. As a starter book, I’m still proud of it, since I learned so much while writing it.

5. What’s the best part about writing?

Rewriting. I absolutely HATE writing first drafts. But rewriting? That’s where the magic happens, the rough sketch becomes something beautiful and the language can be refined. Ideally, I’d like to do 3 passes on a manuscript (with time in between) as a revision process. Sadly, the publishing schedule (and my slow writing speed) doesn’t allow for this.

6. What’s the worst part about writing?

Lack of oversight keeping you on task. I have a lot of experience working from home and keeping myself on task, and I still prefer working on a clock to being in charge of my own time. Sometimes it’s hard to force your butt in the chair when no one else is watching you or keeping track of your efforts.

7. What’s the name of your favorite character and why? 

My fave character of all time is Tae, the protagonist of Sworn Sword, the high fantasy Book of My Heart. The entire reason I gave up my career in Geology and became a writer was to tell Tae’s story. She is amazingly tough, driven and focused. But she is tortured, haunted, driven by demons. She has risen to the top of her profession as a swordfighter but it will never be enough for her. She can never be good enough to make up for what she failed to protect in the past. I loved exploring her drive versus her prejudices versus her trust issues versus her warped self-image. She’s an amazingly pained character that I’d like to get back to some day.

8. How much time a day/week do you get to write? When is the best time for you to write (morning or night)?

I prefer to write from the moment I wake up until I run out of steam in the afternoon. I mean I directly roll out of bed, get dressed, grab my bowl of cereal and eat it while starting writing. I can be at the desk and writing in less than 5 minutes after waking up.

I worked full-time as an editor while writing full-time as well for 4 years. It was killing me slowly. Or, perhaps, not so slowly.

Once I got my 3 book contract with Titan Books and needed to be writing a complete novel in one year (I had been taking 2 years per book before that) I realized that I couldn’t do both. Luckily for me, I have the most supportive husband in the world, who has been encouraging me to quit my job and write full time for the last 3 years. I finally made the leap and as of a month ago, I now write full time (all day). I tend to be useless as the evening rolls around.

That’s what Netflix is for, right??

9. Did you go to college for writing? Or if you haven’t been to college yet, do you plan to?

My undergraduate degree is a B.S. in Geology and my masters degree is an M.A. in Writing Popular Fiction. Before I went to grad school, I had no formal training in writing. I highly recommend Seton Hill’s Writing Popular Fiction program (now an MFA program) for anyone who writes genre fiction and wants to take their writing/career to the next level.

10. What bothers you more: spelling errors, punctuation errors, or grammar errors?

Couldn’t care less about any of them. Only bad writing and ridiculous/unbelievable motivation bother me.

11. What is the best writing advice that anyone has given you?

“Writers write.” It’s that simple and that hard. If you’re creating stories and characters, putting words on the page, you’re a writer. Doesn’t matter if you’re getting paid or recognized or any of that. If you’re writing, you’re a writer.

If you’re just talking about being a writer but not actually putting stories and words to paper, you’re not a writer. If you published years ago, have 5 doctorates in the subject, but never intend to put pen to paper again? You’re not a writer. You were a writer.

12. What advice would you give to another writer?

“There’s no such thing as writer’s block.”  I believe this wholeheartedly. If you’re sitting at your desk, fingers poised over the keyboard, waiting for words to come and nothing happens, you don’t have writer’s block, you have “only trying one method” block. Writing is not a one-process affair.

People talk about “plotters” and “pantsers” and the truth is, there’s no pure thing. Every writer, whether they realize it or not, is using an amalgam of techniques to push their way through. If you’re staring at that blank page and thinking “I have writer’s block,” what you need to do is try another technique.

When the words won’t come for me, I switch to a different arena for working on the story. First, I try to outline the scene instead of writing it. I ask myself, “what am I trying to accomplish in this scene?” “what does this scene need to do?” “Where am I headed?” and I start to rough out an idea of where I want to go and what I want to happen.

If that doesn’t come to me, I look at character goals. Where are they headed? What does the character want? I will work on Goal-Motivation-Character sheets, learned from Debra Dixon’s excellent book called Goal, Motivation, Conflict. (Not surprisingly).

If filling out and re-evaluating those sheets doesn’t help, I turn to my whiteboard. There I outline the major plot points I’m carrying through the novel. Where am I trying to get to? How do all of these plot threads relate?

If that doesn’t work I go for a power-walk. While walking (yay Vitamin-D and exercise!) I open my mind to anything. I work on a different subplot, I go over a new character’s backstory. I get away from my current block and just let the creativity flow. When I get back home, I write down whatever I’ve learned, planning to use it later. Often, that’ll direct me to where I want to go with my current scene.

If that doesn’t work, I take a break and read a book on the craft of writing. I actually rarely finish these b/c as soon as I start reading, I get ideas for how to apply their teachings to my current problem.

If that doesn’t work I talk to my critique partners (who read my rough draft as I go along). Jen Brooks and Diana Botsford. If I’m stuck I ask them where they see the novel going. What they envision, what they expect from what I’ve written so far. Usually I disagree with all of it, but it gets me thinking on what I DO what to write.

Jen Brooks, Author of In a World Just Right

Diana Botsford, Author of Four Dragons and The Drift

So, in summary, when you say “I have writer’s block” what you’re really saying is, “Sitting at my desk and staring at a blank page isn’t getting it done.” Writers have to be flexible. You have to be willing to try ANYTHING to move forward.

If none of that works? Maybe you need a break. Take a nap. Have a glass of wine. A brownie. Clean your house. Spend time with your family. Just remember that that book is there, waiting for you, and it’s up to YOU to figure out how to tap into it and get it written.

14. Besides writing, what else do you enjoy doing? What are your hobbies?
    
    Not surprisingly, I read a great deal. Perhaps surprisingly, I read almost entirely outside of my genre. A lot of famous minds will tell you that if you’re not reading everything current and historic in your genre, then you’re not doing your job as a writer. Me? I think that’s crap. I have a lifelong love of SF and grew up devouring it. Once I started writing in the genre, however, I reduced my reading of it.

Oh, I still read the biggies that everyone is talking about, but more often than not you can find me reading suspense, thrillers, historical novels and even romance. Reading is my escape and writing SF is my love/job. When I read, I want to take a break from work.

Beyond that I love to spoil my rescue bulldog, Grace.

We live in Florida and I love to go to the beach and snorkel every chance I get, especially if we can escape to the Florida Keys for the weekend. I’m also a big-time gamer, getting hooked with Neverwinter Nights and Elder Scrolls back in the day. I never played Everquest, but I am a horrible WoW junkie.

15. What is the best book you’ve read this year?

Heidi Ruby Miller’s yet to be released STARRIE.

It’s a fantastic Science Fiction Romance with the most amazing pacing. The action kicks in on page 1 and never lets up. I was asked to review and ARC of it and very happy for the chance to do so!

Here is the blurb I wrote for it:

"With explosive action, kick-ass heroes and romance that hits all the right notes, STARRIE gives fans of science fiction romance everything they want—at a breakneck pace. Plan to stay up all night finishing this one, it’s impossible to put down!" 

16. What is the best movie you’ve seen this year?

I’ve seen ExMachina and you’d think that would be my fave. I’m going to stick my neck out and say that I enjoyed the lower budget The Machine better than Ex Machina. (Don’t tell anyone!)

However.

The best movie I saw this year was just after Christmas, when I was home with my mum and family, and my husband James was horribly ill. We watched Maleficent with Angelina Jolie and I was blown away. I cried. My heart hurt after watching it. For me, that is a moving tale, and heroine worth cheering for.

Side note: I am a life-long Disney AND Angelina Jolie fan, so, it might as well have been Rhonda-crack.

17. What is your favorite book or series of all time?

No brainer. Melanie Rawn’s TheDragon Prince trilogy, every time.

18. Who is your favorite author?

This is almost impossible to answer. I honestly enjoy the work of my two crit partners, Jen Brooks and Diana Botsford so much, that I am one of those lucky author/fans who gets to work with her fave authors on a daily basis.

Beyond that?

Melanie Rawn will forever hold that place in my heart. No matter who writes something “better,” her works of “The Dragon Prince” trilogy and the unfinished “Exiles” trilogy hit me in my formative years, and the deep emotion and ties of loyalty in those books helped me to become the person, sister, daughter, wife and writer that I am today.

If I could say one thing to Melanie Rawn it would be “thank you.”

If I could say two things it would be “OMG finish the Exiles trilogy!!!”

19. What are your plans for the rest of the year in terms of your writing?

I just, as of today, finished the rough draft of the second book in my space opera trilogy The Empress Game. From here, I want to do as much revision as I can before the book is due to my editor on November 1^st. Then I’ll get right to work on book 3 in the trilogy.

20. Where else can we find you online?

I probably use Facebook the most: https://www.facebook.com/RhondaMasonWriter

The second best place to get info is my website: www.rhondamason.com

And I am sporadically on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RMasonWriter  

In the spirit of the game of tag, I am tagging the following:

Christina Westcott: http://www.christinawestcottauthor.com/

Jen Brooks: http://www.jenbrookswriter.com/

Diana Botsford: http://dianabotsford.com/

Calico Writes: http://calicowrites.com/

Tonya Burrows: http://www.tonyaburrows.com/

Genre and Subgenre in SF, and Why Space Opera Fans Should Give SFR a Chance

Genre and subgenre labels are a tricky thing. You never know who knows “the lingo” when it comes to a genre and its particular subgenre, so when people ask me “what do you write?” I’m caught in this position wondering “what answer will make sense to you?”

My most accurate self-label comes out when I’m at my alma mater, Seton Hill University, where I earned my MA in Writing Popular Fiction. That program supported writers of all genres, e.g., romance, children’s, YA, mystery, sci fi, fantasy, etc. There, I call myself a “spec fic” writer, meaning a writer of speculative fiction. 

When I say “I write SF” I mean speculative fiction (for me SF does not = Sci Fi). From Wikipedia: "The term speculative fiction refers to any fiction story that includes elements, settings and characters whose features are created out of human imagination and speculation rather than based on attested reality and everyday life."

That’s what the sci fi/fantasy/horror writers at SHU call themselves, and that’s the truest label for my writing and creative interests. I’ve written space opera, high fantasy, dark urban fantasy, paranormal and so on. I don’t write horror, (I’m afraid of the dark!) but I write both sci fi and fantasy, so I really hate to say, “I’m a sci fi writer” or “I write fantasy,” and limit myself.

Right now, when most people say “what do you write?” they’re asking me what genre The Empress Game is because that’s the book I have available currently, so I’m left in a new quandary of how to answer.

Let’s see:

Are you a science fiction reader who understands sci fi subgenres? Yes? Then my answer is “I write space opera.”

Are you a genre reader in general? Then my answer is “I write science fiction.”

Are you not much of a reader? Then my answer is “I write science fiction, like Star Wars or Guardians of the Galaxy. It’s not very sciency, it’s more action-oriented.”

It’s a delicate dance. I’m always thinking, “What can I tell you that won’t instantly scare you away….”

On that theme, let’s introduce you to a new subgenre!

We’re going to blur genre boundaries for a moment and go into the romance genre. Romance has even MORE subgenres than SF, if possible.

I want to give a shout out to Science Fiction Romance (SFR) today. SFR (which is sometimes called “Futuristic Romance”) is basically a space opera, with all of the same juicy worldbuilding and plotting, which follows the typical arc of a romance novel. It’s got all the same great elements of a space opera: action, space ships, battles, aliens, galaxy-wide intrigue, romance and light on the science. The difference is that in SFR, the romance plotline comes first. In a straight space opera, the romance plot is secondary.

If you like a good solid romance plot in your space opera, and you don’t mind some of the romance troupes, I highly recommend you look into this genre! My two top recommendations are Christina Westcott’s A HERO FOR THE EMPIRE and Heidi Ruby Miller’s AMBASADORA. Luckily, both of these are series! They’ll have other books coming out in the next year.

These two are, in my opinion, the very best examples of SFR and everything that makes the subgenre great.

A HERO FOR THE EMPIRE – by Christina Westcott

BLURB:

Commander Kimber FitzWarren is running on borrowed time. The cybernetic augmentations that give her superhuman strength and speed have also shortened her life. The success of her next mission is imperative, not only to save her Empire, but because this operation could be her last.

She and a cabal of other idealistic officers are plotting to topple the corrupt Imperial government. The key to placing missing military legend Arianne Ransahov on the throne lies with the one man who can find her, mercenary Wolf Youngblood.

Having just survived an Imperial assassination attempt, Wolf is understandably on edge when Fitz shows up in his bedroom at 0-dark-30. Except she isn’t there to kill him, but to plead for his help. Help he’s reluctant to give—until another assassin pushes the issue.

Pursued by Imperial forces, left with no one to depend on but each other, a bond begins to form that even their secrets can’t destroy. But before they can explore what’s left of their future, they have to survive the mission.

Warning: Space is no place to go it alone. We recommend taking along a telepathic cat, an immortal mercenary, and a cybernetically augmented Imperial SpecOps agent. You never know what kind of trouble you’ll run into…

Check it out on Amazon

And visit Chris’s website: http://www.christinawestcottauthor.com/

AMBASADORA – by Heidi Ruby Miller

BLURB:

If everyone told you love wasn't real, would you still be willing to die for it?

Sara Mendoza and Sean Cryer are.

In their multi-partner, caste-ruled society, love and jealousy are considered emotional fallacies, nothing more than fleeting moods and sentiments biased by hormones. Relationships and conceptions in this world obsessed with celebrity, beauty, and power are based on DNA and lineages...or should be. But not everyone believes in the ruling traditions of the all-powerful Embassy. A quiet rebellion prowls the dark underground of this shiny world where techno-militants calling themselves fraggers grow in numbers and bravado. The Embassy intends to silence the fragger movement before the heresy of equality spreads throughout the system.

Sara Mendoza is part of the Embassy's plan. Captured, tortured, and falsely accused of treason, she is given a chance to win back her freedom. She only needs to charm information from one of the fragger leaders, then kill him. But by the time she figures out the Embassy's intel is flawed and that Sean Cryer is her true mark, she's already in love with him.

Sean knows why Sara is on his ship from the start, but as a lonely, anti-social doser, he doesn't value his life, only his ideology within the fragger organization. Against his better judgment, he becomes her protector, each day caring more about a future he was always afraid to hope for.

Check it out on Amazon

And visit Heidi’s website: http://www.heidirubymiller.com/

Discover a new SF subgenre today! :)

Diversity, Badass Females Characters and If Only This Didn’t Need to be Discussed

I was once asked in an interview who I would want to play Kayla if The Empress Game was made into a movie. My answer? Zoe Saldana. No hesitation there. Some people might be thinking, “woah. I pictured Kayla as white.” That’s a fair guess, based on the cover art. In truth, only 1 person in the entire novel has her skin color described, and that’s Divinya, who has skin as dark as the true definition of black, being “the absence (or complete absorption) of light.” Other than that, I couldn’t care less, which is why, as a writer, I don’t mention it.

When I hit “publish” on my post two weeks ago titled “Top Nine Fictional Female Badasses,” I realized right away that the list was too “white.” There are a lot of reasons for this, such as which actors/characters get more press/recognition (and thus stuck in my brain), who I tend to identify with as a white person myself, and so on.

That said, once I gave my list a second thought, there’s no reason for it to be so “white.”

Why, you ask? I looked at my list and determined that the badass characters I listed fell into 2 categories: 1) badass characters that made an emotional impact on me, and 2) badass characters in general.

In category 1 I have: Pocahontas, Sioned, Aeryn Sun, Elizabeth Bennet and Aviendha.

Everyone else is in category 2: badass in their own right, but I’m not personally engaged with them, per se.

That said, when I gave this question of “what fictional female characters are badass?” a second thought, tons of “diverse” character suggestions came to me. (I hate the term “diverse.” It’s so… “other.” I grew up in a family who was not concerned about race, so this is a new consideration for me. BUT, that doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t attack this problem of the lack of diversity in SF/Feminism with gusto.) So, I realized that this list of badass female characters needed to be reworked.

Here is my reworked list. It’s not a combo of a “white person list” and “other diverse people who should have been added” list, it’s a genuine integrated list. I’d like to point out that both Pocahontas and Aviendha are not “white,” for whatever that’s worth, so my “important to my heart” characters are 3/5 white and 2/5 “other,” not too shabby for not really thinking the list through.

Is it easiest for me to identify with white characters? Probably, considering the amount of media coverage they get and my own limited exposure to difference races and cultures.

Does that make it “OK?”

Not really. With one extra second’s thought I was able to dredge up plenty of badass non-white characters, and really, if we want to promote diversity in life, fiction, and everywhere, sometimes we just need to make the tiniest of efforts. Or the largest of efforts. Or any effort at all. 

I want to keep making an effort to increase diversity in our culture on all levels until it is so ubiquitous that this doesn’t even need to be a conversation. It should just be, “Badass females. Period.”

That said, here is my updated list. I am placing the 5 characters listed above as being “category 1” at the top of the list because they are most important to me emotionally, race notwithstanding, but that doesn’t at all take away from the other ladies on the list. They are all badass.

Here we go! :)

Number One:

Storm, as I remember her from the X-Men cartoon (which was awesome, btw!)

She is wise, a strong counselor for Professor X. He relies on her wisdom heavily. She was worshipped as a goddess in Africa when her powers manifest, but doesn’t let it go to her head. She embodies the ideal of “Nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength.”

Number Two:

The White Haired Witch (as played by Bingbing Fan)

This character is phenomenal. She protects her people with her amazing martial skills, determined to keep their kingdom free from creeping illness and betrayal. To be a better warrior, and at the urging of her now-dead master, she has sworn off love, convinced that it will always betray you.

Nonetheless, when she meets the man that completes her heart, she dares to dream that they could be one. Of course, that is not to be. Betrayal after betrayal assaults her, but in the end, she believes in her love, and sacrifices even that, her memories of their time together, in order to save his life. Talk about a strong will and a true badass.

Side note: When we watched this movie, I said to James, “Please don’t learn the Scroll of Apathy to save my life, and in the process forget our love.”

James’s response was, “Feel free to do whatever you gotta do to save my life.” ;-)

Number Three (a/b):

Neela (as played by Nathalie Kelley in Fast and the Furious Tokyo Drift) and Letty (Played by Michelle Rodriguez in the Fast and Furious movies)

Both badass ladies who know how to drive. Is there anything more encouraging then seeing ladies rule in a “man’s world” arena? Neela drifts like a pro, and is in fact the one who teaches the hero how to drive/drift. Letty is amazing. She’s all in, an awesome driver, dedicated, full badass material. I loved both of these characters when watching the movies.

Number Four:

Zoë Washburne (as played by Gina Torres in Firefly)

I’m pretty sure this needs no commentary, but, just to be clear – Zoë was the most logical, badass, well-organized thinker of that entire crew on Firefly. Without her, imo, that whole shindig would have fallen apart. What I loved other than her total badassery? The way she was loyal to the captain as a soldier/comrade, and had a different/separate place carved out in her life for her husband. There was no, “oh no, I love both men!” issues. She was a boss. Business first, pleasure later, but yes to both. 

Number Five:

Gamora (as played by Zoe Saldana in Guardians of the Galaxy)

When I tell people “The Empress Game is space opera,” and they say, “What is space opera?” my answer is always, “It’s like Guardians of the Galaxy, or Star Wars.”

It’s no surprise, then, that I love Gamora from Guardians of the Galaxy. She’s SO like Kayla in so many aspects: separated from her real family, trained to be a living weapon, on a quest…. It’s no wonder I love her. Not to mention that I love Zoe in every movie I’ve ever seen her in, including Center Stage!

(Guilty secret, Rhonda loves ANY movie with dancing in it!)

What else do I need to say here? Gamora should be as heralded as Black Widow is. Equal levels of badassery, imo.

Number Six:

Nikita (as played by Maggie Q)

This is one of my all-time favorite badasses. She was bred inside of an organization, “drinking the cool-aid” if you will, all in. She ran many missions for them, until, they took her one step too far- killing a little girl. Instead, saved the little girl, and started her own rebellion. A one woman army.

I ate this show up (as you might expect.) Maggie Q is AMAZING as Nikita. We’re talking precision technique, cold/emotionless delivery, mission-oriented, passionate about taking down a corrupt establishment…not to mention she’s hiding from the man she loves, who is trying to kill her….

The fight scenes are awesome, and the show is worth watching just for that. But the character of Nikita? Even better. (Side note: Hated Alex, the girl she saved who is supposed to be a protégée)

Also – a woman does NOT need to be sexy to be badass. BUT, I loved the way that Nikita (since she was) used that as a weapon. A true professional will use what she’s got in order to get the job done. I approve.

Number Seven:

Elizabeth Bennet (Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

This is one of my all-time favorite characters. She’s set in a time-period where women had very little power/say, but she is still a badass. She fiercely protects Jane (her older sister) when she realizes Jane’s heart has been broken. She is not afraid to spar verbally with a man above her station when he is condescending and rude to her, despite her interest in him. She does not shrink like a violet, thankful for any attention. She knows her own worth and stands by it.

When nearly forced into a loveless marriage, she rebels (and is saved from it by a doting father, thankfully). And when she realizes that she was wrong about the man she loves, she admits her mistake, and begs for her father’s acceptance of that man’s suit.

She is fearless and fierce, proud to a fault, but admits when she’s wrong. She’s a protector and she deserves every last second of happiness the book’s end grants her

Number Eight:

Aviendha (Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series)

When I was reading this series, I couldn’t imagine a more badass character than Aviendha. I pretty much wanted to BE her. She was amazingly tough and loyal. Independent, strong, self-sufficient, important to her people… I love her. She would have ranked higher on my list if Jordan hadn’t neuter her and grouped her in with all of his other female characters who considered men “wool-headed” and so refused to communicate effectively. SIGH.

Number Nine:

Pocahontas (As portrayed in the Disney movie of the same name)

Growing up, this version of Pocahontas spoke very clearly to my heart. She was nature-loving, as was I, and thought that was something of worth and the land worth protecting. I still feel the same way and am thankful to have married a wonderful man who shares my conservationist tendencies.

Why do I label her a badass? That’s easy. First, she’s independent and true to herself, even though she knows it’ll earn her censure. Second, she speaks up to the foreigner she meets who doesn’t understand the colors of the wind, and takes time to show him why the earth is worth respecting. Third, she’s not afraid to embrace love where she finds it, no matter how difficult, and fights for it. Fourth, she lets that love go when she realizes it’s the best for him.

Painful sigh! I sobbed with heartbreak at the end of Pocahontas. I’m not kidding, I was inconsolable.

Number Ten (A):

Aeryn Sun (As played by Claudia Black in Farscape)

So, I’m cheating, but numbers one and two are a tie, so I’m going with Numbers One (A) and One (B).

Aeryn Sun is perhaps my favorite character of all time, and if you look closely, an inspiration for both Kayla and the hero of my first ever fantasy novel, Tae.

Simply put, I love her. She is guarded, fierce and dedicated. She knows her role within her military and she fulfills it superbly. When that military turns on her for an act of humanity, she is stripped of all she has ever known and all she believes in. She’s devastated.

But instead of mourning her loss, she picks herself up, checks with her morals to confirm that she did the right thing, and soldiers on.  She moves into a new, unknown world completely alien to her way of life, and maintains her own sense of honor while she navigates it.

She is arrogant and proud, but rightfully so (on the proud part) and diligent in her retaining her own strength. The love story between her and John is one of the most painfully wrought stories I have watched/read. She surrenders herself sliver by sliver to the trust of another being, never losing herself, and learning inch by inch that all she’s known has been wrong, and that she has to adapt.

She does this all without losing her skills or her warrior spirit. In my opinion Aeryn Sun is a model for girls who need to understand that you can love someone without losing yourself.

Number Ten (B):

Sioned (Of Melanie Rawn’s Dragon Prince Trilogy)

I almost can’t speak on Sioned, she’s had that profound of an impact on me. If you ever want to know what makes Rhonda tick, where she learned to be so fiercely loyal to her loved ones and uncompromising on their happiness, you should read Dragon Prince. I read this as an adolescent in high school and it made such an impression on me that I remember it all, even after the thousands and thousands of books I’ve read since.

There has never been a woman more badass than Sioned. If you’ve read Melanie Rawn’s series, I can pretty much stop here and your head will be nodding. The strength of her love, her loyalty, her belief in herself, her powers… she is amazing. She’s confident, strong and willful, but utterly devoted to her love and her people. She is an amazing combination of personal power and social responsibility.

In all of my reading, I have never met so impressive a heroine. So real, believable, and heartbreaking.

If you enjoy fantasy fiction and you haven’t read the series now, run—don’t walk—to your local bookstore. (Then ask if they could order it b/c it’s an older series, and you want to support local stores instead of Amazon!)

If you made it this far, thanks for reading my list. I think badass women, in all their forms, be it kicking ass as an assassin, following orders as a soldier, defending their family on any turf, being a diplomat, or having the strength to treat the wounds of others as needed, makes women amazing. The more we write about them, even in this “first world country” that is America, the better.

Nicki Minaj, Taylor Swift, and does talking about having a big ass make you a feminist

I have so many thoughts in my mind right now I’m not even sure I can make this make sense.

To start, as soon as I hit “post” on my “9 female badass characters” post, I realized it was incredibly “white.” This is something I have become increasingly aware of as a writer and a woman. I’m not a big fan of race divides. I grew up in a family/town/lifestyle completely devoid of racism, and the idea of racism is alien to me. That said, I tend not to think about skin color. However, that does not make me immune to society’s influence and lack of diversity. When I posted my list of 9 female badass characters, I realized that 2 out of my 9 ladies were “diverse.” 3 if you count the fact that Aeryn Sunne is another race, but since she’s played by a white actress, I don’t think that counts.

This means that, even though I don’t care about race, I still identified primarily with the white characters, OR that they were the most prevalent in entertainment and media, and thus, came to mind first. Either way, it’s something to combat. For those of us who are not racist, it’s not enough to say, “well, I don’t care about race.” We need to do MORE than that. We need to promote diversity of all sorts, especially in the feminist movement, until all things are equal.

What brought this crisis to my mind, you ask? Oddly enough, the Video Music Awards. Weird, right? I didn’t watch them because a) I really don’t watch tv and b) I am really not a fan of “pop culture.” (Point in fact I read historical novels and write SF novels where I tend to mock pop culture and its influence.)

Either way, I was not immune to reading the reports of the VMAs afterward. (yay, internet and facebook!) I had several thoughts. A) Miley Cyrus had the worst outfits I’ve ever seen ;-) B) I didn’t 100% understand the controversy over why Nicki Minaj’s “Anaconda” video didn’t with the “Best Video of the Year” award. C) Or the twitter heat when Nicki found out her video was not nominated and she said “If your video celebrates women with very slim bodies, you will be nominated for vid of the year.”

So, being the intrepid explorer that I am, I watched all the nominated (and not) videos of the controversy.

I’m glad that Minaj is celebrating women with big butts in her "Anaconda" video. Hell, I’m a white girl and my most commented on body feature (for good or ill) had been my “healthy/muscular/athletic/any term you want” butt. That’s just how my body is formed and I have a muscular/well-rounded butt, and it has been commented on since I was a kid. It took a long time to realize that was okay. I’m glad to enjoy it as an adult and realize it makes me beautiful.

However, after listening to the song and watching Minaj’s “Anaconda” video, I was disappointed. There was no super awesome story/message or choreography. It was pretty much women shaking their butts, and the lyrics were like, “I like big butts, men like big butts, and f’ya’ll skinny bitches.”

Imo, that is in no way empowering for women or a positive body image/message. I was bummed that it wasn’t more empowering for women. I mean, so, I love my butt. But a video where the girl is crawling on her knees to a guy who just gets to sit back in a chair and enjoy her sexiness is the norm, and did not leave me feeling empowered as a woman.

I didn’t find Taylor Swift’s video of “Bad Blood” amazing or anything, but it at least it a) told a story, b) celebrated badass women. There were no men telling women what to do and no lyrics/images about women having to prove their sexiness to men with their big butts.

Sure, everyone was model-skinny to the point of freakishness and I didn’t love that, but it at least tried to empower women to be badass, even if it didn’t also tackle the issue of weight discrepancy in real life.

Let’s be honest. Some women are just skinny, and there’s no crime in that. One look at Taylor Swift and you’ll realize she’s got one of those “skinny women bodies.” It’s not her fault any more than it’s my fault for being built with junk in the trunk.

Honestly, I don’t normally watch music videos and normally couldn’t care less, but, this women against women shit was distressing to me. As was Miley Cyrus’s response when Minaj threw a “what’s good” her way and Cyrus pretty much put her down.

Ladies.

Stop fighting each other.

The real evil isn’t skinny women versus women with big butts. The “evil” is a society where we feel we’re shunted into those 2 categories. Where we feel we have to sing a song about our big butts and how every guy wants it, or we need to make a video where every girl in it is model-skinny.

Let’s get real. Color doesn’t matter. Body type doesn’t matter. Gender equality in EVERY aspect of American lives matters. So celebrate every body type and let’s talk about women winning their place at the podium, in award nominations, in the arts, in the humanities, in the business world. Let’s talk about women doing the same job as men and not making the same pay for it. Let’s talk about women having to be “lady-like” and there being NO equivalent “man-like.” Let’s talk about women who speak forcibly about something  and are called a “bitch” or an “angry woman” or a “feminist” (as if that was a bad thing) or an “angry black women.” Let’s talk about how we all have the right to get upset, how we all have the right to express our views without being told we should “calm down” or “be rational” or “are you PMSing?”

I want freedom for women to speak and be judged on the EXACT same standards as men when they express their opinions. Fuck who has the bigger butt. Fuck if men wantr skinny women or women with “more to hold at night.”

Who are you when there’s no man to define you? Who are you when it’s just us, woman to woman, and your voice needs to be heard?

Step up. Be that woman, and damn the consequences.

Top Nine Fictional Female Badasses

(I couldn’t come up with a 10^th on short notice, and I didn’t want to put a throw-away name on here!)

So here’s my list of my top 9 fave fictional female badasses. Note, this isn’t my ULTIMATE list, it’s a list I thought up in one day of musing, so it’s subject to change.

I’m going to start off with a list of “who didn’t make my top 9 badass females and why,” just to try to avoid an uproar:

Who didn’t make the list (and why)

• Samantha Carter – Stargate SG-1 (meh. Sure, she’s smart and rocking it in the “boy’s club” of the American Airforce, but she’s SO rules oriented that she almost never follows her heart or colors outside of the lines. She’s too vanilla for me.)
• Hermione – Harry Potter (I’m sure she would make the list, but I’ve never read the books or seen the movies) *dodges tomatoes*
• Princess Leia – Starwars (I like her, sure, but…she never resonated with me.)
• Xena, Warrior Princess – (never watched the show, but she looks badass)

Starting with Number Nine:

Lara Croft (As played by Angelina Jolie in the movies)

I’m pretty sure this needs no explanation.

Number Eight

Black Widow (as played by Scarlett Johansson in the recent movies)

These days, she’s almost a “must have” on this type of list because of the increasing uproar around her role on Avengers and why she doesn’t get her own movie. That aside, she is a SERIOUSLY badass character. She’s one of only 2 Avengers who lack superpowers, but she always keeps up with the “superheroes,” and slays her fair share of bad guys. She’s super savvy, uses ALL of her assets, and Gets. The. Job. Done.

‘nuff said.

Number Seven:

Aviendha (Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series)

When I was reading this series, I couldn’t imagine a more badass character than Aviendha. I pretty much wanted to BE her. She was amazingly tough and loyal. Independent, strong, self-sufficient, important to her people… I love her. She would have ranked higher on my list if Jordan hadn’t neuter her and grouped her in with all of his other female characters who considered men “wool-headed” and so refused to communicate effectively. SIGH.

Number Six:

Pocahontas (As portrayed in the Disney movie of the same name)

Growing up, this version of Pocahontas spoke very clearly to my heart. She was nature-loving, as was I, and thought that was something of worth and the land worth protecting. I still feel the same way and am thankful to have married a wonderful man who shares my conservationist tendencies.

Why do I label her a badass? That’s easy. First, she’s independent and true to herself, even though she knows it’ll earn her censure. Second, she speaks up to the foreigner she meets who doesn’t understand the colors of the wind, and takes time to show him why the earth is worth respecting. Third, she’s not afraid to embrace love where she finds it, no matter how difficult, and fights for it. Fourth, she lets that love go when she realizes it’s the best for him.

Painful sigh! I sobbed with heartbreak at the end of Pocahontas. I’m not kidding, I was inconsolable.

Number Five:

Katniss Everdeen (From The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins)

This might feel obligatory, but it’s not. Honestly, I only read the first book of The Hunger Games. But that one book was enough to convince me that Katniss was a woman who knew how to get shit done. What I love about her? A) Family above all. To me, that is the height of badassery. Well, maybe I should say “worthy family above all.” In this case her devotion to Pru, her younger sister, is so admirable it made me feel lacking. B) She’s a legitimate badass. Collins gave us a great background for why she would know how to hunt and survive in the wild, and why she would be willing to break the rules.

She’s amazing character thrust into insane circumstances. My one quibble with Hunger Games was that enough wasn’t made of the HORRIFICNESS of the Games themselves, of the idea of children killing children. Sure, the Games themselves were expected, but when it came down to actually being in them, I wanted to see some level of disbelief/horror that anyone would condone this.

Okay, that was a side note. What makes Katniss especially badass, beyond all that? Her faux love for Petra because she knew it was how to Get. Shit. Done. She manipulated any and everyone to survive, and that is what makes her a badass, even if it hurt some people. She wants to survive and save her family.

And in the midst of all that, she still cares for Rue. It’s heartbreaking, heroic and amazing.

Number Four:

Elizabeth Bennet (Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

This is one of my all-time favorite characters. She’s set in a time-period where women had very little power/say, but she is still a badass. She fiercely protects Jane (her older sister) when she realizes Jane’s heart has been broken. She is not afraid to spar verbally with a man above her station when he is condescending and rude to her, despite her interest in him. She does not shrink like a violet, thankful for any attention. She knows her own worth and stands by it.

When nearly forced into a loveless marriage, she rebels (and is saved from it by a doting father, thankfully). And when she realizes that she was wrong about the man she loves, she admits her mistake, and begs for her father’s acceptance of that man’s suit.

She is fearless and fierce, proud to a fault, but admits when she’s wrong. She’s a protector and she deserves every last second of happiness the book’s end grants her

Number Three:

Trinity (as played by Carrie-Anne Moss in the Matrix movies)

Why is she a badass? I’m pretty sure that question has never crossed anyone’s lips.

Not only is she a bona fide badass before the “ultimate badass,” Neo, even enters the picture, she’s so badass that the entire trilogy opens with her, in a room, trapped in the Matrix, and forced to use every skill and bit of courage she has to escape.

First, she manipulates the Matrix with the power of her mind and defeats the cops sent after her. Then, when the Agents—who are basically undefeatable—come after her, she escapes in a similar badass fashion.

She runs. She’s not too proud to admit when she’s outmatched. We see her fleeing for her life with all the strength and canniness she possesses. What I loved about the movie? They put her in flat-soled boots. Thank F’ing god. They didn’t make her wear 4 inch high Catwoman boots and expect her to somehow beat the agents when she ran across the rooftops.

She dove through a window, convinced that the agents would be on top of her in second. She even had to give herself a nudge. “Get up, Trinity. Get UP.” And she did, fear for her life and her very existence in tow.

When we see that last moment of truth, when she has to race a crazy trash truck to the phone and hope she’s retrieved before the agent kills her, I cheered to see her take the risk and gain her freedom.

Bravery, badassery, and unwavering faith in a cause. She’s amazing.

My only disappointment in the movie was that she was given the HORRIBLE fortune by the Oracle that had nothing to do with her at all. Instead, it was “The man you love will be The One.” SIGH Who gives a shit? Let’s get Trinity a destiny all her own!

Number One (A):

Aeryn Sun (As played by Claudia Black in Farscape)

So, I’m cheating, but numbers one and two are a tie, so I’m going with Numbers One (A) and One (B).

Aeryn Sun is perhaps my favorite character of all time, and if you look closely, an inspiration for both Kayla and the hero of my first ever fantasy novel, Tae.

Simply put, I love her. She is guarded, fierce and dedicated. She knows her role within her military and she fulfills it superbly. When that military turns on her for an act of humanity, she is stripped of all she has ever known and all she believes in. She’s devastated.

But instead of mourning her loss, she picks herself up, checks with her morals to confirm that she did the right thing, and soldiers on.  She moves into a new, unknown world completely alien to her way of life, and maintains her own sense of honor while she navigates it.

She is arrogant and proud, but rightfully so (on the proud part) and diligent in her retaining her own strength. The love story between her and John is one of the most painfully wrought stories I have watched/read. She surrenders herself sliver by sliver to the trust of another being, never losing herself, and learning inch by inch that all she’s known has been wrong, and that she has to adapt.

She does this all without losing her skills or her warrior spirit. In my opinion Aeryn Sun is a model for girls who need to understand that you can love someone without losing yourself.

Number One (B):

Sioned (Of Melanie Rawn’s Dragon Prince Trilogy)

(Sadly, no good picture that does Sioned justice)

I almost can’t speak on Sioned, she’s had that profound of an impact on me. If you ever want to know what makes Rhonda tick, where she learned to be so fiercely loyal to her loved ones and uncompromising on their happiness, you should read Dragon Prince. I read this as an adolescent in high school and it made such an impression on me that I remember it all, even after the thousands and thousands of books I’ve read since.

There has never been a woman more badass than Sioned. If you’ve read Melanie Rawn’s series, I can pretty much stop here and your head will be nodding. The strength of her love, her loyalty, her belief in herself, her powers… she is amazing. She’s confident, strong and willful, but utterly devoted to her love and her people. She is an amazing combination of personal power and social responsibility.

In all of my reading, I have never met so impressive a heroine. So real, believable, and heartbreaking.

If you enjoy fantasy fiction and you haven’t read the series now, run—don’t walk—to your local bookstore. (Then ask if they could order it b/c it’s an older series, and you want to support local stores instead of Amazon!)

If you made it this far, thanks for reading my list. I think badass women, in all their forms, be it kicking ass as an assassin, following orders as a soldier, defending their family on any turf, being a diplomat, or having the strength to treat the wounds of others as needed, makes women amazing. The more we write about them, even in this “first world country” that is America, the better.